The Guardian. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1921. NEARING THE END.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1921, Page 2

The Guardian. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1921. NEARING THE END.

“Perhaps by Easter, 1922, there will be no need for passengers to look upon Arthur's Pass as a ‘Change Here’ stop. Some time next year, at any rate, the engines will change, but the carriages will

go on. The above appeared as the closing sentences to an article in Saturday's issue of this paper, recording the impressions of a pressman who visited the Arthur’s Pass tunnel works a week ago in company with the Hon. Minister of public Works to vote the general scheme of progress. Thore is quite an optimistic ring about the statement and the conclusion is reached that 'he great national work is at last nearing the end, and in a comparatively short time, passengers will be transferred through the tunnel instead of over t.v Gorge. 'Hie optimistic note is in contrast however, to the opinion held by the folk in and about the tunnel works, and those, for instance who reside at eific Otira Gorge or Arthur’s Pass. The;, speak gloomily of the tunnel not being in operation for another three yea".or more! To impress this opinion they point out the backward state of dm necessary works still to be done to m-

commodate the lines to b<‘ laid; the stations to be built, the power house to be erected; the townships to be brought info being to provide for the stiffs. All this involves a great building ■-theme and except m a preliminary way of small clearings there is nothing being done to provide for all the essential accommodation required. SUii there seems to he good reason to place ii good deal of faith in the prom Be.of the Minister on-tthe matter, and above till in the works of the Canter bury Progress League, which as met tioned in another place to-day, is out to concentrate on the completion of tiit. national work as of "the highest importance to the provinces involved, as well as to the Dominion at large. The Progress League purposes keeping in close touch with the progress of the works. Each month or oftener, a personal report is to be made, and a caret il record kept of the progress so as to measure the completion in months raThcr than in years. This spirited 'jganisatioihfrgives hope that the optimistic view expressed above will come to pass very early next year. The volume of passenger traffic which has resulted this year in surprising

onej and is an earnest of the great interchange of traffic which will come >o pass when the line is finally t-hrv.igi. The convenience which will be enjoyed with through railway traffic will encour age more and more traffic. The West Coast generally will become the Mecca of New Zealand. Folk in all parts wil> he desirous of seeing this new country—which at present is so much isolaled from the remainder of the Domm--1 utn. There is a gradual process >f advertising going on, and the district* is growing more and more in repute I he railway is going to give the Coast a very popular vogue, and the sooner the railway is an accomplished fact the better it will be all round and to Westland in particular which will piofit so enormously.